Despite It All
by iPlayBassoon
Summary: AU,disability!fic,will be eventual HPDM,nonmagic!fic.Harry Potter wasn't just like every other child his age. When he goes to Hogwarts, he suddenly develops alarming symptoms and is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Harry has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Harry Potter, for he belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling. Anything you don't recognize as hers, is mine**.**

AU, disability!fic, will be eventual HP/DM (no slash), possible non-magic!fic

Harry Potter wasn't (or was according to some people,) just like every other child his age. He always seemed to be hurting himself, he hated going to school, and he never wanted to eat was he was given. When he goes to Hogwarts, he suddenly starts developing alarming symptoms and is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Will he ever be able to live the life of a normal teenager? Find friendship and love despite the trials? Harry has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Despite It All- Prologue

by ~iPlayBassoon

Harry Potter wasn't (or was according to some people), just like every other child his age. He always seemed to be hurting himself, he hated going to school, and he never wanted to eat was he was given.

At first it was just little things. At just two years old, his legs and arms would be covered in bruises. They thought it was because he was just clumsy. His stomach pains (which he never told anyone about) were just passed off as picky eating.

His knees and shoulders would ache, but he assumed it was from kneeling on the hard floors all day, scrubbing them for his Aunt Petunia. That was when he was five years old.

When he was seven, the aches spread to his ankles, fingers, wrists, elbows, and hips. They hurt so bad that he was unable to get up and do his chores on some days.

His Aunt Petunia begrudgingly took him to the doctor after Vernon went to work. They told her it was growing pains. She never took him to the doctor for his aches again. She didn't take pity on him either, and continued to make him do his chores.

All through primary school, he never participated in recess with the other children. When the other teachers asked him why, he simply responded that he didn't like playing with the other children. The real reason was because it hurt to run and play like the others.

His school work was never up to standards either. His penmanship was sloppy, and he never could seem to follow directions, read his textbooks, or write down his notes properly. He never told them that he couldn't see what was written properly, or that his fingers couldn't grasp his pencil correctly.

More often than not, he would come home from school, do his chores, and be so exhausted that he went straight to his room and slept straight through until the wee hours of the morning when he would wake up in pain from the activities of the previous day. He would never be able to go back to sleep and so he just layed on his bed thinking to himself until his Aunt came to wake him up for the day and he would repeat it all again.

Despite all that, little Harry Potter continued on with his life. He did his chores, he went to school, and he never complained. For all that he knew, the pain and misery he felt every single day was completely normal.

**HPDMHPDMHPDM**

When Harry was nine years old, his teacher asked him why he was always bruised so badly or limping when he came to school. When he told her that he was just clumsy, she took it upon herself to tell the nurse that she suspected abuse. The Dursleys were not happy when they were notified that a social worker would be coming to check up on them.

Harry Potter never went back to public school and from that day on. His Aunt Petunia home schooled him, instead.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Harry Potter, for he belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling. Anything you don't recognize as hers, is mine.

AU, disability!fic, will be eventual HP/DM (no slash), possible non-magic!fic

Harry Potter wasn't (or was according to some people,) just like every other child his age. He always seemed to be hurting himself, he hated going to school, and he never wanted to eat was he was given. When he goes to Hogwarts, he suddenly starts developing alarming symptoms and is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Will he ever be able to live the life of a normal teenager? Find friendship and love despite the trials? Harry has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Despite It All-Chapter 1

by ~iPlayBassoon

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens, and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets - but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.

Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep for the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.

"Up! Get up! Now!"

Harry woke up with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.

"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one.

His aunt was back outside the door.

"Are you up yet?" she demanded.

"Nearly," said Harry.

"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Harry groaned.

"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.

"Nonthing, nothing..."

HPDMHPDMHPDM

After breakfast, where it was determined there was no one to watch Harry, and Harry couldn't stay home by himself, he was allowed to go to the zoo with them for Dudley's birthday. Harry had never been to the zoo, and couldn't believe his luck.

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance ad then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.

Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys because after walking around for so long, his legs and back were really beginning to hurt and he didn't want to get tripped by Dudley and Piers.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and think, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.

"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Unlce Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself- no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.

The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.

_It winked._

Harry stared. Then he looked quickly aroudn to see if anyone was watching. THey weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.

The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then reaised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:

_"I get that all the time."_

Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.

"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. He knew his ribs and hip had dislocated from the punch and fall, respectively. His joints had always been a bit too unstable.

HPDMHPDMHPDM

Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet.

He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidded to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.

When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family.

Harry had no one. He didn't go to school, and all of the neighborhood children knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Harry Potter, for he belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling. Anything you don't recognize as hers, is mine.

AU, disability!fic, will be eventual HP/DM (no slash), possible non-magic!fic

Harry Potter wasn't (or was according to some people,) just like every other child his age. He always seemed to be hurting himself, he hated going to school, and he never wanted to eat was he was given. When he goes to Hogwarts, he suddenly starts developing alarming symptoms and is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Will he ever be able to live the life of a normal teenager? Find friendship and love despite the trials? Harry has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Despite It All-Chapter 1

by ~iPlayBassoon

Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would hopefully be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"

"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.

HPDMHPDMHPDM

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.

"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.

"Your new school uniform," she said.

Harry looked in the bowl again.

"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."

"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."

Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High - like we has wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.

Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.

They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

"Get the mail, Dudley," said uncle Vernon from behind his paper.

"Make Harry get it."

"Get the mail, Harry."

"Make Dudley get it."

"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."

Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and- a letter for Harry.

Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives- he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

_Mr. H. Potter_

_ 4 Privet Drive_

_ Little Whinging_

_ Surrey_

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of the really nice paper used to make their letters fancier, and the address was done in calligraphy. There was no stamp.

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple was seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter _H_.

"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.

Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the envelope.

Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.

"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk..."

"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"

Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy paper as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.

"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.

"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.

"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.

Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"

They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.

"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.

"_I _want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's_ mine_."

"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.

Harry didn't move.

"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.

"Let _me_ see it!" demanded Dudley.

"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.

"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "why would they want him?"

"I don't know," muttered Uncle Vernon suspiciously.

"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want-"

Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.

"No," he said finally. "No, we'll send him there. If he's there, we won't have to deal with him all year, and you'll have more time to spend with your friends if you're not having to watch him."

"But -"

"I'm not having him in the house, Petunia, if there's a chance to get rid of him!"

HPDMHPDMHPDM

That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never don't before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.

"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"

"A school," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "We will be sending you there come September." He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.

"Er - yes, Harry - about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... you're really getting a bit big for it... we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."

"Why?" said Harry.

"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."

The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on tom of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.

From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't want him in there... I need that room... make him get out..."

Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Harry Potter, for he belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling. Anything you don't recognize as hers, is mine.

AU, disability!fic, will be eventual HP/DM (no slash), possible non-magic!fic

Harry Potter wasn't (or was according to some people,) just like every other child his age. He always seemed to be hurting himself, he hated going to school, and he never wanted to eat was he was given. When he goes to Hogwarts, he suddenly starts developing alarming symptoms and is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Will he ever be able to live the life of a normal teenager? Find friendship and love despite the trials? Harry has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

**A/N: This is a long one guys. I wanted to hurry up and get Harry to Hogwarts (which should happen the next chapter). By the way, I had written about 10 pages when I had left to go cook dinner. When I came back my computer had frozen and I lost this entire chapter. I think that if it hadn't been for your reviews, I probably wouldn't have spent the last four hours rewriting it. Thanks everyone =]**

Despite It All-Chapter 1

by ~iPlayBassoon

BOOM. They knocked again.

"Who's there?" Vernon shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"

There was a pause. Then -

SMASH!

The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.

A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bend down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."

He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.

"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.

Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.

"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into an knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.

Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

"Anyway - Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with _Happy Birthday Harry_ written on it in green icing.

Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"

The giant chuckled.

"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.

"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."

His eyes fell on the empty grate and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole room with light and and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.

The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the room was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."

The giant chuckled darkly.

"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."

He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."

The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."

"Er - no," said Harry.

Hagrid looked shocked.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly.

"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud!"

Hagrid leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole house. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.

"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy - this boy! - knows nothin' abou' - about ANYTHING?"

Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.

"I know some things, " he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.

"DURSLEY!" he boomed.

Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.

"But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous."

"Yeh don' know... yeh don' know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare. "I reckon its abou' time yeh read yer letter."

Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the heavy envelope, addressed in calligraphy to Mr. H. Potter, Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. He pulled out the letter and read:

**Hogwarts Academy**

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

**Dear Mr. Potter, **

**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts Academy. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

**Term begins on September 1. We await your letter by no later than July 31.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Minerva McGonagall,**

**Deputy Headmistress**

Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my letter?"

Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled a PDA and stylus. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:

**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**

**Given Harry his letter.**

**Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.**

**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.**

**Hagrid.**

Hagrid sent the note, then he sat down.

Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.

"Where was I?" said Hagrid.

Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake.

"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I ever applied to Hogwarts."

To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.

"Yeh can go if yer want teh. Yer name's been down ever since yeh was born. Yer off ter the finest school in the world. Seven years there and yeh won't know yerself. Yeh'll be with youngsters of your own sort, fer a change, and yeh'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbledore."

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."

**HPDMHPDMHPDM**

Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a boarding school. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."

Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.

"Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. "Um – Hagrid?"

"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.

"I haven't got any money – and I don't think Uncle Vernon will pay for me to go to Hogwarts."

"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

"Got everythin'? Come on, then."

Harry followed Hagrid outside. The sky was clear and now the pavement gleamed in the sunlight.

**HPDMHPDMHPDM**

Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them.

They had finally reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid who bought the tickets, handed one to Harry.

People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.

"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.

Harry took the heavy envelope out of his pocket.

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."

Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

_**Hogwarts Academy**_

**Uniform:**

First year students will require:

Boys: gray trousers, white or pale blue dress shirts, navy blue ties, navy blue blazers (with school crest on left breast pocket), black socks, black shoes. (Four sets)

Girls: gray or plaid gray skirts, white or pale blue dress shirts, navy blue ties, navy blue blazers (with school crest on left breast pocket), gray knee length socks, black shoes. (Four sets)

_Please note all pupils' clothes should carry name tags._

**First Year Courses:**

**Required:**

*Math 101 (pre-algebra)

*Biology 101 -or- Physical Science 101

*Literature and Grammar 101

*Social Studies 101

*Etiquette 101/102

*History 101 (English Government/History)

**Electives: **_(pick one art, and one physical education)_:

_Fine Arts_

*Art 101

*Music Theory and Performance 101

*Drama 101

_Physical Education_

*Equestrian Studies

*Fencing

_Note: All course books should be bought in the school bookstore after receiving your class schedule and syllabus._

**Other Equipment:**

*Stationary, pens, pencils, calculators, etc.

If taking Art 101:

*Two standard Art kits _(can be bought in the school bookstore)_

If taking Music Theory and Performance 101:

*Students must bring their own instrument of choice

*All equipment to maintain their instrument _(Any needed materials can be mail ordered as needed)_

If taking Equestrian Studies:

*Jodhpurs (two of your choice of color for everyday riding)

*Breeches (white or light tan for competitions)

*Pale Blue or White competition shirts

*Two navy blue show coats

*Socks

*Tall boots (one pair, black)

*Field boots (one pair)

*Helmet (black, with black cover)

*Riding crop

*Riding gloves

If taking fencing:

*One standard five-piece foil set

Students may also bring a pet along with the materials needed to care for it. _Horses are included for a monthly boarding fee._

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN HORSES_

**HPDMHPDMHPDM**

Harry had never been to London before.

Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was stay close behind him.

They went into a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops in the alley. Inside they waited in line, and eventually, when it was their turn, made a withdrawal.

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Clothes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in that pub over there? I'm feelin' a tad peaky." He did look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling woman dressed all in mauve. Harry handed her the uniform requirements.

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his trousers. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a blazer over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

The boy next to him obviously saw the bits of uniform set to the side because he asked Harry if he was going to Hogwarts, too.

Harry replied in the affirmative, looking a bit awkward.

"My father's next door buying my stationary and mother's up the street looking at the riding equipment," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice.

"Have you got your own horse?" the boy went on.

"No," said Harry.

"Fencing at all?"

"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth fencing was.

"I do – father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to fence for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been – imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

"Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing to two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for the excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.

**HPDMHPDMHPDM**

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).

"What's up?" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy stationary and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a pen that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, Hagrid, what's fencing?"

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know – not knowin' about fencing!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.

"So what _is_ fencing?"

"It's a sport. It's like – sword fighting – but its done with foils – sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"School dorm houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but – "

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly.

"They bought Harry's riding outfits in a store called The Equestrian Corner where the racks were stuffed with all sorts of clothes meant for horse-back riding.

Having bought the requisite supplies for his Equestrian Studies class, they went back out into the owl and once more checked the list.

"Just yer instrument left – oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

Harry felt himself go red.

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal."

Twenty minutes later, they left the pet shop which had been bright and full of barking and chirping. Harry now carried a leash, upon which was attached a beautiful harlequin Great Dane. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys.

The last shop they went to a music store, in which Harry decided he was going to buy an instrument. They went inside and a shopkeeper helped Harry decide what instrument he wanted by asking him questions like, "Do you like higher pitched or lower pitched?, Quiet or loud?" and "Do you like being the center of attention, or to blend in with the crowd?"

Eventually it was decided that Harry wanted to play the Bassoon, which he thought looked and sounded cool, even though he was told it was a difficult instrument to master. They hadn't brought enough money with them however, for such an expensive instrument, and so signed a contract stating he would make a monthly payment until he had payed it off. After giving a down payment, Harry grabbed his new instrument and the needed supplies and off they went.

**HPDMHPDMHPDM**

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their was back down Diagon Alley. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their packages, with the Great Dane asleep on the floor next to Harry with its head on his feet. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.

"Got time for a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.

He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.

"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life – and yet – he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words. How did one explain how much he was hurting just from walking around for a few hours? Most kids would be perfectly fine if not a tiny bit tired. He just steeled his mask like he was used to doing from the Dursleys.

Hagrid, misunderstanding him said, "Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts – I did – still do, 'smatter of fact."

Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope before taking the still to be named Great Dane for him to watch until Harry got to Hogwarts.

"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September – King's Cross – it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter at Hogwarts... See yeh soon, Harry."

The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.

**A/N: A big thanks to anyone who has reviewed or added this story to their favorites. I finally understand the big hype about review addictions! Hehe...**


End file.
